Map recurring sessions and exercise reminders before writing any code.
The real problem in a physiotherapy practice
A physio practice loses patients mid-protocol. Drop-off at midway is massive. On 8-10 sessions prescribed for a post-surgery rehab or chronic low-back pain, 30-40% of patients don't go all the way. Either they forget the recurring appointment, or they don't do their home exercises and progress slowly, or pain returns and they give up.
The second problem is recurring booking. A patient in rehab needs 2-3 sessions per week for 4-6 weeks. Setting that up by hand on the phone is a logistical nightmare for the assistant (or for you if you're solo).
The real point: keep the patient engaged between sessions. The human stays central during the session — automation maintains the momentum the rest of the time.
What can be automated in a physio practice
Recurring online bookings (a patient picks their default slot — say Tuesday 5pm + Thursday 6pm — and the tool blocks the next 8 sessions). D-1 SMS reminders systematically, especially effective on long protocols where the risk of forgetting is high.
Library of exercises sent by WhatsApp or email based on the current protocol, with short videos (30s-1min). Not a generic PDF, but targeted exercises the physio validated for that patient. Pain follow-up between sessions via simple questionnaire (0-10 scale + zone) every 48-72h.
End-of-protocol auto-recap with maintenance advice, suggested check-up dates, and a path to re-book in case of relapse. Everything stays under physio control — automation is a service channel, not a substitute for the craft.
Step-by-step method to automate a physio practice
<strong>Step 1.</strong> Bring booking online with the 'recurring' option (Doctena allows it, Doctolib too with configuration). The patient picks their default slot for 6-8 weeks.
<strong>Step 2.</strong> Activate D-1 SMS reminders. Crucial for long protocols where forgetting is the #1 drop-off cause.
<strong>Step 3.</strong> Build the video exercise library (30-50 short videos at the start cover 80% of common protocols: low-back pain, neck pain, post-ACL, post-hip/knee replacement, shoulder, tennis elbow).
<strong>Step 4.</strong> Wire the sending channel (WhatsApp Business with scheduled messages, or email with link to hosted videos). Per-patient personalisation via 'current protocol' tag.
<strong>Step 5.</strong> Pain follow-up questionnaire every 48-72h via short SMS (0-10 scale + 'all good' / 'pain returning' / 'urgent'). Alert to the physio on negative signal.
<strong>Step 6.</strong> End-of-protocol auto-recap with maintenance advice. If relapse, the patient finds their history and can resume in 1 click.
The four automations that genuinely help
<strong>1. Recurring online bookings with default slots.</strong> Cost: 80-120 €/month (Doctena, Doctolib with recurring module). Gain: 60% of bookings shift online, freeing 4-6h/week of secretarial time.
<strong>2. D-1 SMS reminders.</strong> Cost: 30-60 €/month per volume. Gain: -40 to -50% on no-shows and forgotten sessions.
<strong>3. Protocol-driven exercise library (WhatsApp/email).</strong> Cost: 30-80 €/month for the sending channel, 1-2 days to produce videos. Gain: improved adherence, drop-off divided by 1.5 to 2.
<strong>4. Pain follow-up every 48-72h with physio alerts.</strong> Cost: 30-50 €/month (Typeform, Tally, or healthcare-specific tool). Gain: early detection of relapses, long-term patient retention.
What to avoid in physio
Don't send a generic exercise programme not validated for that specific patient. A poorly adapted exercise can worsen the injury, and the responsibility stays with the physio. The library must be pre-validated per exercise and tied to the protocol, not dumped wholesale.
Don't replace human contact between sessions with a pure chatbot. The patient in rehab needs to know they can reach their physio in case of doubt — not a bot that replies 'your physio will get back to you'. Automation handles admin noise, never clinical.
Don't overload the patient with notifications. 1 D-1 SMS reminder, 1 exercise send/week, 1 pain questionnaire every 2-3 days during active phase. Beyond, the patient turns off notifications and the whole effort collapses.
Realistic costs and ROI for a physio practice
For a solo practice, expect 100-200 €/month combined tools (booking + SMS + exercise library + pain follow-up). Hebora scoping fee between 1 500 and 3 500 € depending on ambition (basic online booking or full orchestration with video library).
ROI shows on 3 main axes. Protocol completion up (from 60-70% to 80-85% typical with reminders + follow-up), i.e., 1-2 additional sessions per patient on average. Secretarial time freed (3-5h/week). Long-term patient recurrence improved (on average, a properly tracked patient returns 2x more often within 18 months). Scoping payback in 4-6 months.
FAQ
How do you automate physio booking?
Slots per consultation type (rehab 30 min, sport 45 min, posturology 60 min, etc.) with recurring option. The patient picks their default slot, the tool blocks the next 6-8 sessions per the prescription. Doctena and Doctolib offer it as standard, or custom scoping if you want to integrate with your practice software.
Can you send exercises automatically between sessions?
Yes, if each exercise has been pre-validated for the protocol and the patient. Build a video library (30-50 exercises cover 80% of common protocols), tie each protocol to 5-10 exercises, and trigger WhatsApp or email send on a schedule (every 2-3 days). Never generic non-validated exercises.
How do you cut mid-protocol drop-off?
Three levers. (1) Systematic D-1 SMS reminders. (2) Pain follow-up questionnaire every 48-72h with physio alert on negative signal (lets you catch engagement loss before it becomes a stop decision). (3) Exercise library sent regularly to maintain the feeling of progress between sessions.
Can AI replace the physio?
No. AI can support adherence (reminders, exercises, pain follow-up) but diagnosis, palpation, therapeutic touch, real-time protocol adjustment stay human. No 2026 tool replaces a physio session. Automation extends the session's effect, it doesn't substitute it.
What's the budget for a solo physio practice?
Indicative range: 100-200 €/month in tools. Hebora scoping fee: 1 500-3 500 €. Total first-year budget: 2 500-6 000 €, with measurable return in 4-6 months on protocol completion and freed secretarial time.
How do you integrate automation to existing physio software (Kineso, Vega, Capkin)?
Vega and Kineso have limited but usable APIs. Capkin is more closed. Depending on the software, integration costs 1 000-3 000 € of additional dev. Hebora frames this before quoting to avoid surprises. Otherwise, parallel operation with periodic import/export works.
Is WhatsApp Business GDPR-compliant for sending exercises?
Yes under conditions. Explicit patient consent to receive content via WhatsApp (checkbox at first session). Meta hosting outside the EU — so DPA-framed processing. No sensitive medical data in the messages themselves (exercise ID OK, not full diagnosis). Prefer a native healthcare tool for the highest compliance level.
How do you handle physio emergencies (post-session pain)?
The pain follow-up questionnaire triggers a physio alert on critical signal (pain >7/10 or new symptoms). During practice hours, the human assistant takes over. Outside hours, redirection to GP or emergency services depending on severity. Never automated medical evaluation by AI.
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